Do you struggle to remember to just stop and breathe once in awhile? Do you forget to slow down and wonder in amazement at your beautiful child who is growing up before your very eyes? I get it, moms are busy. The days fly by in the blink of an eye. A few minutes, or even seconds, can make all the difference in creating more calm and contentment. My latest tool to help me remember to pause and be mindful are self care apps.

My husband recently lost his cell phone while riding on a roller coaster, so we finally decided to upgrade to a smart phone. (I know, I’m years behind the times, literally!) Now that I have one, I’m totally addicted to apps. There are so many great self care apps out there, totally free. I can’t believe what I’ve been missing out on!

Here are my top ten favorites:

Calm As soon as you click to open up this app you get a sweet little reminder to “take a deep breath.” Calm features relaxing music, various seven-day meditation courses, as well as sleep stories to help you drift off to sleep peacefully.

Daily Yoga It’s like having your own personal trainer at your fingertips! There are numerous yoga sequences such as Just for Women, Quick Fix Yoga, plus there are also numerous guided meditations available. Classes range from beginner to master level experience so it’s perfect for everyone!

BlipBlip I love this app because I have it set up to ring a gong sound every hour during the day. (You can pick how often you want it to go off and there are other sounds other than the gong.) I use it as a reminder to stop, breathe, and check in with myself.

Insight Timer might be my favorite app. A map of the world is lit up with everyone currently using the app when you log on. It kind of reminds me of the giant globe at Santa’s house in the movie The Rise of The Guardians. You see little lights blinking on and disappearing as people log on and off. There are 6,262 free meditations plus 4,611 groups. There is such a wide range of groups. I currently belong to three: Rumi, Practicing Pema (Chodron), and Thich Nhat Hanh. Members post inspirational quotes from these inspiring teachers every day.

Nature Sounds Nature Sounds features soothing sounds such as thunderstorms, rain, waterfalls, the ocean, a warm camp fire and more. The sounds are extremely clear and realistic. Plus, you can even set a timer for how long you want it to play.

Bliss Bliss is like a digital gratitude journal where you can record things you are grateful for. It also has quite a few other positive journaling prompts.

Plant Nanny This is a super cute app to help you make sure you drink 8 glasses of water a day. You get to personalize your plant and flowerpot. Each time you drink a glass of water you record it on the app and eventually your plant will grow! It will also send you reminders every 2-4 hours during the day to remind you to drink.

Chill This is another one of my favorites. Every day Chill features a new mindful quote with a photo and you can also set it up so that it randomly sends you up to five mindfulness reminders through out the day.

Mandala Coloring Pages This would be great for times such as when you are waiting at the doctor’s office or entertaining the kids with it when you’re at a restaurant and they’re getting wiggly! It’s super simple to use. It allows you to create and save images like this one. There are lots of mandalas to choose from.

WellMamaLite Are you experiencing post pregnancy issues? Try these five or fifteen-minute yoga sequences to help with lower back pain, sore neck and shoulders, and more.

WellMama also has several other free apps including a 5 Minute Fitness App for Moms, Yoga for Pain Relief, Relaxation, and Energy, and Learning Games for 0-4 Year Olds.